Draft and buffer gearing



NOV. l0, 1936. Q E.' EDMUNDS 2,060,052

DRAFT AND BUFFER GEARING Original Filed Jan. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet lNOV. 10, 1936. G, EDMUNDS :2,060,052

DRAFT AND BUFFER GEARING Original Filed Jan. 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dv v 9 ZZ Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES DRAFT AND BUFFER GEARINGGlenn E. Edmunds, Columbus, Ohio, assigner to The Bonney-Floyd Company,Columbus, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application January 27, 1934, Serial No. 708,679Renewed September 4, 1936 13 Claims.

The present invention relates to draft and bufier gearing. While thegearing oi the invention is of general application, it is particularlyapplicable to mine cars and will accordingly be described in suchassociation and with reference to the accompanying drawings in WhichFigure 1 is a plan View, partly in horizontal section of a typicalembodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a section substantially on line 5-5 of Figure l, being alsoa vertical section through the iront portion of a mine car body withwhich the gearing is shown as being associated in novel manner.Referring to the drawings, reference numeral designates generally draftand buffer supporting means in the form, as here shown, of a bracket orhousing designed as an end sill member and comprising a rear verticalwall II having cast integral therewith, as here shown, parallel upperand lower forwardly projecting webs or walls l2 and I3. Also castintegral, as here shown, with the rear wall II, are a pair of arms I4and i5 which have parallel outer vertical faces adapted to be rivetedagainst sill members such as are indicated in dotted lines at I6 and i1.The rear wall Il projects slightly outwardly of arms i4 and I5, theseprojecting portions being designated by the reference characters i8 andi9, respectively. The outer ends of walls i2 and i3 are joined byparallel walls A2li and 2I which integrally connect walls II, I2 and I3.The rear wall l I may be connected with arms I4 and i5 by means ofgussets as at 22, Figures 1 and 4.

Walls II and I2 are curved forwardly and inwardly beyond the outerextremities of walls 20 and 2i and wall I2 has a relatively largecentral cutout or recess 23 which in effect divides the wall into twosections. Centrally, wall I3 is downwardly offset as at 24, Figures 2, 3and 5, the ofset 24 having a horizontal top face which extends up to alower vertical attachment ange 25. The top wall I2 has a similarVertical attachment ange 2B, the rear faces of flanges 25 and 25 lyingin the same vertical plane as here shown.

The rear wall II is centrally rearwardly offset to form a triangularhousing portion or pocket 21, the pocket portion being angular in planView and symmetrically disposed with reference to the bracket ends. Thepocket is completed, top and bottom, by rearward extensions of Walls I2and I3.

Mounted in pocket 21 is a drawbar 28 which is substantially the shape oia flat isosceles triangle so as to be receivable in pocket 21 to seatfirmly therein. The drawbar comprises top and bottom triangular Webs 29and 3i) and an interconnecting vertical web 3I. At its extremities, web3| is in the plane of the forward edges of webs 29 and 30, but centrallyit is rearwardly oiTset to provide a central pocket 32 whose rear wallis curved substantially concentrically with respect to aligned apertures33 and 34 formed in webs 29 and 3 on a vertical line traversing thepocket. It Will be noted from Figure 1 that the apex of the triangulardrawbar is rounded off substantially on the curve of the vertical web 3Iand that the point of pocket 21 is correspondingly curved.

The drawbar is slidably received between thickened portions I2 and I3 ofwalls I2 and I3. The rearward extensions of walls I2 and I3 are providedwith vertically aligned fore and aft extending slots 35 and 35, Figures1 and 5, which register with the apertures 33 and 34 in the drawbar, thelatter being cylindrical and receiving a bolt 31 which projects upwardlyand downwardly through slots 35 and 36. Washers 38 and 39 are -30interposed between the head of bolt 31 and a nut 4G screwed on the lowerend of the bolt and retained by a cotter pin 4I.

A draft hook 42 has a shank 43 extending between webs 29 and 30 of thedrawbar into the pocket 32, the shank having an aperture in which bolt31 is engaged. The hook has a heel portion 44 which is slidable on theupper surface of offset 24 which thus largely supports the weight of thehook. With the drawbar fully seated in recess 21, the end of the hookpreferably does not extend outwardly beyond the forward limits of wallsI2 and I3 so that danger of its injury through impact is thus avoided.The hook is rendered accessible for bitching purposes through recess 23in the bracket top wall I2.

A pair of buffer elements 45 and 453 are supported between the outerends of the bracket walls I2 and I3 for sliding movements, these bufferelements being interchangeable upon reversal. Each buffer elementcomprises parallel top and bottom walls 41 and 48, as most clearly shownin Figures 2 and 4, and, as most clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, eachcomprises inner and outer parallel vertical end walls 49 and 5B which 55connect the inner and outer edges of the top walls, all these wallspreferably terminating rearwardly in the same vertical plane, the frontedges of the walls being joined by a forward vertical wall 5 whichadjacent wall F59 has a substantially flat impact face rounded orirearwardly to the outer wall 5G. The top and bottom walls of the bufferelements are provided with fore and aft extending aligned slots 52 and53 in which are engaged pins 54. The lower bracket wall I3 is providedwith downward offsets 55 in which are provided upwardlyT open recessesreceiving the lower ends of pins 5t. The upper ends of pins 54 arereceived in apertures provided in wall I2 above the recesses andextending into upstanding bosses or collars 5'! provided with counterbores as at 58, Figure 2, through which are passed Cotter pins 59, theselatter passing also through bores in the upper ends of pins 54. Thebosses may be cut away to accommodate the ends of the cotter pins in themanner shown in Figure 2, and if desired, wedges 50 for opening the endsof the pins upon their insertion may be formed or secured on wall I 2.

At each side of the slots 52 and 53 of each buiier element, spring seats6I and 62 are formed on the inner face of front wall 5 I Figures 1 and4, these seats having centering bosses formed thereon. The drawbar isprovided at its ends, that is, at the ends of vertical web 3l, withcentering bosses 63, Figure l, the ends of the drawbar extending betweenthe adjacent sides of the buier elements so that bosses G3 are alignedwith the seats 6i of the buffer elements. The rear wall of the bracketis provided with centering bosses 6A aligned with seats G2. Innercompression springs 65 are interposed between the ends of the drawbarand seats 6I, outer compression springs 5 being interposed between thebracket and seats 52.

It will be noted from Figure l. that seats 6I are somewhat fartherforward than seats E2, this being for the reason that, as here shown,the forward faces of the ends of the drawbar are in advance of theforward faces at the ends of bracket wall I I.

This enables springs S5 and 66 to be made interchangeable, since eachhas the same length as the other. As here shown, the springs are shownas being spaced at equal distances at the sides of pins 5f! so that,being of equal strength, they exert a balanced effect upon the bufferelements.

The inner side walls of the buffer elements are guided to some extent bythe shoulders formed by the thickened wall portions i2 and I3', theouter side walls of the buier elements being disposed inwardly of thebracket side walls 2Ii and 2i. The relation is such, however, as topermit pivoting of the buffer elements about pins 54, as well asmovements toward and away from the bracket permitted by the slots 52 and53. Outward movement of the buier elements is limited by the engagementof the rear ends of slots 52 and 53 with the pins 54. Inward movement islimited by engagement of the inner walls 49 of the buffer elements withthe ends of the drawbar and upon the simultaneous engagement, in thecase of translational movement, of the outer walls 5G with lugs 6l and68 formed in the corners between bracket wall portions I 8 and 20, andI9 and 2|.

In Figure 5, I have shown the gearing associated with one end of a minecar body 69. In this figure, reference numeral 'I0 designates one of apair of longitudinal sill members which may be angle bars to the innerfaces of which the bracket arms are riveted. A floor plate II is securedto the sill members as are also ilare plates as at 12. The car end wallis constituted by an end plate 'I3 and the vertical web l!! of an anglebar l5 which constitutes an end sill member. The lower edge of plate I3is sufficiently spaced from the top of web 'Eil to provide an opening 75which extends from sill to sill and is adapted to receive the drawbarhousing portion of bracket ID, flange 25 being secured to the outermargin oi web 'M and flange 2G being similarly secured to plate 'I3 sothat opening 'i5 is entirely filled. In this manner, the outwardprojection of the gearing is considerably curtailed and a rigid endstructure is provided. Reference numeral l'i designates a portion of abody side wall.

Upon the application of draft to the drawbar, as through hook 42 or anysimilar' draft element, the drawbar tends to move for 27, thuscompressing springs S5 which react to compress springs 66 by reason ofthe pivotal mounting of the buier elements. The drawbar is guidedagainst lateral displacement through the engagement of bolt 3'! in slots55 and 56, forward outward movement of the drawbar being limited throughengagement of bolt 3l with the outer ends of the slots. In order toprevent the entrance of material into the slots, washers 38 and 39 areof suiiicient size to cover the slots in all positions of bolt 3Ttherein. Preferably, the slots permit the drawbar to seat irmly againstthe rear bracket wall under the force of the springs.

VVE-.ile it will be seen that the springs act in f ably withoutdeparture from the invention as delined in the following claims,

I claim:

l. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair of buerelements supported at horizontally opposite ends ci the bracket for ilimited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivoting movementsrelative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid dra-wher adapted for draftapplication at its central portion supported by the bracket with itsends behind the adjacent sides of said buffer elements, shock absorbingmeans between the ends of the drawbar and said adjacent sides of saidbuiTer elements, and shock absorbing means between the outer sides ofsaid buier elements and abutments on the bracket,

the shock absorbing means associated with eef buffer element being onopposite sides of the pivcting axis thereof and exerting a normallybalanced action thereon, draft applied to the draw bar causing pivotingof said buifer elements and compression in series of the springsassociated with each buier element, the springs associated with eachbuffer element acting in parallel under bui.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuier elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar adapted forwardly out of pocket www..

draft application at its central portion supported by the bracket withits ends behind the adjacent sides of said buffer elements, guide meanspreventing lateral displacement of said drawbar, shock absorbing meansbetween the ends of the drawbar and said adjacent sides of said bufferelements, and shock absorbing means between the outer sides of saidbulfer elements and abutments on the bracket, the shock absorbing meansassociated with each buffer element being on opposite sides of thepivoting axis thereof and exerting a normally balanced action thereon,draft applied to the draw bar causing pivoting of said buffer elementsand compression in series of the springs associated with each bufferelement, the springs associated with each buffer element acting inparallel under buff.

3. .Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuifer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar adapted fordraft application at its central portion supported by the bracket withits ends behind the adjacent sides of said buffer elements, a verticalbolt passed through said drawbar and slidably engaged with said bracketfor preventing lateral displacement of said drawbar, shock absorbingmeans between the ends of the drawbar and said adjacent sides of saidbuffer elements, and shock absorbing means between the outer sides ofsaid buffer elements and abutments on the bracket, the shock absorbingmeans associated with each buffer element being on opposite sides of thepivoting axis thereof and exerting a normally balanced action thereon,draft applied to the draw bar causing pivoting of said buffer elementsand compression in series of the springs associated with each bufferelement, the springs associated with each buer element acting inparallel under buff.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuifer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar supportedby the bracket with its ends behind the adjacent sides of said bufferelements, a vertical bolt passed through the central portion of saiddrawbar and slidabiy engaged with said bracket for preventing lateraldisplacement of said drawbar, a draft element engaged with said bolt,shock absorbing means between the ends of th-e drawbar and said adjacentsides of said buffer elements, and shock absorbing means between theouter sides of said buffer elements and abutments on the bracket, theshock absorbing mea-ns associated with each buifer element being onopposite sides of the pivoting axis thereof and exerting a normallybalanced action thereon, draft applied to the draw bar causing pivotingof said buffer elements and compression in series of the springsassociated with each buffer element, the springs associated with eachbuffer element acting in parallel under buff.

5. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuffer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar adapted fordraft application at its central portion supported by the bracket withits ends behind the adjacent sides of said buifer elements, said bracketincluding top and bottom walls between which the drawbar is received,said walls being provided with aligned fore and aft extending slots, abolt passed through the drawbar with its ends slidable in said slots forpreventing' lateral displacement of said drawbar, shock absorbing meansbetween the ends of the drawbar and said adjacent sides of said bufferelements, and shock absorbing means between the outer sides of saidbuffer elements and abutments on the bracket7 the shock absorbing meansassociated with each bufier element being on opposite sides of thepivoting axis thereof and exerting a normally balanced action thereon,draft applied to the draw bar causing pivoting of said buifer elementsand compression in series of the springs associated with each bufferelement, the springs associated with each buffer element acting inparallel under buff.

6. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuifer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar supportedby the bracket with its ends behind the adjacent i sides of said bufferelements, said bracket including top and bottom walls between which thedrawbar is received, said walls being provided with aligned fore and aftextending slots, a bolt passed through the drawbar with its endsslidable in said slots for preventing lateral displacement of saiddrawbar, a draft element engaged with said bolt, shock absorbing meansbetween the ends of the drawbar and said adjacent sides of said bufferelements, and shock absorbing means between the outer sides of saidbuffer elements and abutments on the bracket, the shook absorbing meansassociated with each bulfer element being on opposite sides of thepivoting axis thereof and exerting a normally balanced action thereon,draft applied to the draw bar causing pivoting of said buffer elementsand compression in series of the springs associated with each bufferelement, the springs associated with each buffer element acting inparallel under buff.

7. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket. a pair ofbuffer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar supportedby the bracket with its ends behind the adjacent sides of said buiferelements, said bracket including top and bottom walls between which thedrawbar is received, said walls being provided with aligned fore and aftextending slots, a bolt passed through the drawbar with its endsslidable in said slots for preventing lateral displacement of saiddrawbar, the drawbar having a forwardly faced recess traversed by saidbolt, a draft element extending into said recess and pivotally engagingsaid bolt, shock absorbing means between the ends of the drawbar andsaid adjacent sides of said buifer elements, and shock absorbing meansbetween the outer sides of said buffer elements and abutments on thebracket, the shock absorbing means associated with each buffer elementbeing on opposite sides of the pivoting axis thereof and exerting anormally balanced action thereon, draft applied to the drawbar causingpivoting of said buffer elements and compression in series of thesprings associated with each buffer element, the springs associated witheach buffer element acting in parallel under buff.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuffer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar supportedby the bracket with its ends behind the adjacent sides of said bufferelements, a vertical bolt passed through the central portion of saiddrawbar and sldably engaged with said bracket for preventing lateraldisplacement of said drawbar and for limiting movement of the drawbaraway from the bracket, a draft element engaged with said bolt, shockabsorbing means between the ends of the drawbar and said adjacent sidesof said buffer elements, and shock absorbing means between the outersides of said buffer elements and abutments on the bracket, the shockabsorbing means associated with each buffer element being on oppositesides of the pivoting axis thereof and exerting a normally balancedaction thereon, draft applied to the drawbar causing pivoting of saidbuffer elements and compression in series of the springs associated witheach buffer element, the springs associated with each buffer elementacting in parallel under buff.

9. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuffer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar supportedby the bracket with its ends behind the adjacent sides of said bufferelements, said bracket including top and bottom walls between which thedrawbar is received, said walls being provided with aligned fore and aftextending slots, a bolt passed through the drawbar with its endsslidable in said slots for preventing lateral displacement of saiddrawbar and for limiting movement of the drawbar away from the bracket,a draft element engaged with said bolt, shock absorbing means betweenthe ends of the drawbar and said adjacent sides of said buffer elements,and shock absorbing means between the outer sides of said bufferelements and abutments on the bracket, the shock absorbing meansassociated with each buffer element being on opposite sides of thepivoting axis thereof and exerting a normally balanced action thereon,draft applied to the drawbar causing pivoting of said buffer elementsand compression in series of the springs associated with each buiferelement, the springs associated with each buer element acting inparallel under buff.

10. Apparatus of the class described comprising a bracket, a pair ofbuffer elements supported at horizontally opposite ends of the bracketfor limited movement toward and away from the bracket and pivotingmovements relative thereto on vertical axes, a rigid drawbar ofsubstantially the shape of a flat isosceles triangle with its apexrearwardly directed, said drawbar being supported by the bracket and thelatter having an angular pocket in which the drawbar is normally seatedand whereby movement of the drawbar toward the bracket is limited, theends of said drawbar being positioned behind the adjacent sides of saidbuffer elements, shock absorbing means between the ends of the drawbarand said adjacent sides of said buffer elements, and shock absorbingmeans between the outer sides of said buffer elements and abutments onthe bracket, the shock absorbing means associated with each bufferelement being on opposite sides of the pivoting axis thereof andexerting a normally balanced action thereon, draft applied to the drawbar causing pivoting of said buffer elements and compression in seriesof the springs associated with each buffer element, the springsassociated with each buffer element acting in parallel under buff.

11. For use in apparatus of the class described, a drawbar ofsubstantially the shape of a fiattened isosceles triangle, said drawbarhaving top and bottom triangular webs and a vertical web connecting saidrst-named webs substantially from end to end of the latter, saidvertical web being centrally offset toward the apex of the triangle toprovide a forwardly faced recess, said first-named webs being providedwith apertures aligned on a line passing through said recess.

l2. For use in apparatus of the class described, a drawbar ofsubstantially the shape of a flattened isosceles triangle, said drawbarhaving top and bottom triangular webs and a vertical web connecting saidfirst-named webs substantially I from end to end of the latter, saidvertical web being centrally offset toward the apex of the triangle toprovide a forwardly faced recess, said rst-named webs being providedwith apertures aligned on a line passing through said recess, theextremities of said vertical web being substantially ush with theforward edges of said top and bottom webs, and spring centering bosseson the forward faces of said extremities.

13. The combination with a car body comprising end and side walls and abottom wall, one of said end walls being provided with a horizontallyelongated opening, of a draft and buier means supporting bracketincluding a housing portion projecting inwardly of the body through saidtion of the body, a bolt slidable in said slots,

and a washer on said bolt above said top wall of a size to cover theslot in said top wall in all sliding positions of said bolt.

GLENN E. EDMUNDS.

